Yahlive seeks pay-TV package

Yahlive, the joint-venture satellite between Abu Dhabi and SES, has enjoyed a remarkable success on its ‘East’ beam, broadcasting a fast-growing number of channels into Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and the MENA region. Now Yahlive is looking for a pay-TV broadcaster to join the system.

CEO Sami Boustani admitted that to date the satellite has been successful in carrying free-to-air channels, up 130 percent in the past 18 months, and now reaching an estimated 20 million viewers.

He told Dubai-based trade mag Digital Broadcasting that conversations were taking place. “[but] taking on a pay-TV platform is a lot more complicated.” He added that the investment – per channel – was higher and for pay-TV services, not least with the encryption of channels.